Machine for playing tennis and the like



A ril 21, 1942. L. CLARK 2,280,376

MACHINE FOR PLAYING;TENNIS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 12, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet I I l I I l I l l Q A U QINIVENTOR. -0 444 fwz/k ATTORNEY.

L. F. CLARK April 21', 1942;

MACHINE Ii'OR PLA YINGLTBNNIS OR THELIKE Filed Feb. 12', 1940 a s eets-sheet 2 Illlllllllll|" ATTORNEY.

Apnl 21, 1942. 1.. F. CLARK 2,280,376 mourns FOR mums; TENNIS 05 Tim 1.11m

' Filed-Feb. 12, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet :5

. easily: and quickly attached to a Patented 21, 1942 N OFF-ICE FOR PLAYING TENNIS AND THE 1 t p j f LouisF. Clark, Montebcllo, cam. Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,499

3 Claims. (01. 273-29) My invention relates to that class of apparatus which is adapted to be used in connection with the game of tennis or other similar games,and particularly that class of amusement devices which are designed to arrest the ball batted or thrown by a player and toreturn the ball toward the player, thus eliminating the necessity of having more than one player. Other features of my invention. not-only provide for returning the ball toward the player, but returning the ball in various=directions and heights, so thatthe player is provided with a mechanicaldevice which will op erate in a manner similar to the action of a' human player;

This application fisa continuation in part of my co-pending" application, Serial No. 216,265,

filed June 28,1938, and includes a numberof improvements in design and operation. The purposes of this improved type of apparatusareas follows:' (1) To provide a means for eliminating any board, wall or curtain as the ball-stopping means. 2 (2) To provide a new type of ball-retarding means consisting of a plurality of nets so disposed as to cause the ball thrownagainst them to be retarded and become trapped between them, lose its momentum and dropin an approximately vertical plane into a collector trough. (3) To provide for the transportation of the said ball to chine. Figure 5 is adetail view showing the back net and a single one ofthe inclined transverse I nets, thesebeing shown in a larger scale. Figure 6is an end view showing a part'of the frame and the inclined nets; Figure 7 is a planview ofthe frame .with the nets omitted and showing the ball-returning mechanism including a ramp and a conveyor adapted. to be operated in the ball trough. Figure 8 is a sectional elevation through the trough showing. a'belt conveyor Withcrossbars on the belt to'make the movement of the ball more positive; Figure9 istan isometric view of a somewhat different type of net and one which isadapted to' be secured to a fence, this fence forming the back net, and having inclined netholding brackets adapted to be attached to the posts of the said fence. These brackets have their extremities formed into downwardly and backwardly inclined surfaces suitable to receive and have attached thereto the inclined ball-retarding nets. w m e Similar. numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

a ball-throwing machine, said means including an: inclined trough or a' conveyor in a trough adaptedto deliver the ball to such ball-throwing machine. a (4) To provide a combinationof a they; can be quickly detached from each other and rolled or "folded to facilitate transportation; (5) To provide a design and construction which will enable theinclined ball-retarding nets to be Wire fence of the usual type.

I illustrate my invention by means of the ac- ;companying drawings, in which: Figure lis a front elevation of a large type of my deviceand intended to be used in outdoor installations. This view shows the plurality of nets extending transversely across the device andthe approximate location oflthe ball-throwing machine which is adapted to be used in connection therewith. Some of these nets are shown diagrammatically to. avoidmonf usionr Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an end view showing the nets diagrammatically. Figure 4 is an isometric view showing the inclined nets a type of frame suitable for indoor as wellas outdoor use, and

also showing thetrough and ramp which are used to carry the balls to the ball-throwing maa demountable frame and nets so arranged that The'cons-truction of my device is'as follows: Referring to the design illustrated by Figures 1 to 3.inc1usive; posts I are located atthe' back of the device and have mounted thereon a back netting extending from one post to the other and high enough to stop most of the balls that are likely to be thrown against it. Extending outwardly from the posts I are the wings comprising the posts 3 and 4 which are also covered bythe netting 5. A series of overlapping nets 6 are provided, these nets being inclined in a downwardly and backwardly position, having their up per corners attached to the posts 3 and having the player. The purpose of the plurality of nets in their inclined positions is to form traps which will retard the movement of a ball thrown or batted against the nets and to prevent it from. bounding back onto the tennis court. The ball on striking the inclined nets is retarded in its motion and drops downwardly into the trough l3 whence it rolls into the ball-throwing mocha! nism 25 and by which it is thrown toward the player.

The design shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is similar but is especially adapted for use indoors but of course is not limited to indoor use. This design is provided with a frame consisting of the posts I and suitable longitudinal and cross members such as 8 and 8a. Secured to the back of the frame is. a ball-stopping net 9. Located in front of thernet 9 are a plurality of transverse ball-retarding nets H] which have their ends attached to the posts I by the cords l2 and their lower portions attached to the ball-stopping net 9 by means of the cords II. The nets [0 are so mounted that they are inclined downwardly and backwardly and overlap each other so that a ball striking one of these nets has its momentum retarded and as itfalls it strikes the next net below and finally falls to the bottom of the frame. At the bottom of the frame and adjacent to the. back is, a trough l3, leading to the.ball -throwing'machine 25. Adjacent to the front of the trough I 3 is a ramp Hi which extends: outwardlyand upwardly to av point as at l5 somewhat in front of the frame, so that any ball: that might fall. outwardly would be caught by. this ramp and returned to the trough l3. From the highv point l5 another ramp I6 is attached so that a ball thrown with insufficient force and failing to reach the nets will drop on this ramp and be led into the trough I3. It will be noted that there is a. space. leftbetween the lower edge of each of: the ball-retarding nets l0 and the back net 9, through which the ball can drop, downwardly to the trough l3. s

The trough ['3 may be inclined toward the. ballthrowing machine. 25, or it may beprovided with a conveyor such as is shown in Figures '7- and 8. In Figure 7. a'chain I! is used, the same being driven by themotor l8, thev worm I9, the. wormwheel 20 and the sprocket 2|. In the conveyorshown, in Figure8, an endless belt 22' is used. It is provided with cross-bars 23 located at intervals and which are designed to providea positive movement of the ball toward the ballthrowingmachine 25. This belt may be driven by the motor and associated parts. as: shown in Figure '7, or other convenient means may be used. Various alternate means may be used insteadof the inclined ball-retarding nets, for i example:

The type shown in Figure 10 is intended to be used in outdoor play and particularly in such cases aswhere a wire fence of the usual type is available. This design has a ball-stopping net 24 secured to the fence posts 26, or the fence itself may be ,usedif already constructed. Adapted'to, be secured to theposts 26 by bolting or by otherconvenient means, are the brackets 21 which extend; outwardly; and then downwarde ly from the posts; the. downwardly extending portion 28of thebrackets 2,1. are also backwardly inclined. Attached. to the brackets 21 by any convenient means, but preferably by a means whiclrwill permit of rapid assembly, are the ballretarding. nets l0. Located adjacent to the ballstopping net 24 and near thebase of the device is the trough l3, which may be provided with a conveyor of the types shown in Figures? and 8,

the purpose in either case being to receive the balls which have been stopped and convey them to the ball-throwing machine 25. Extending from the top of the trough l3 to a point in front of the nets are ramps l4 and I6, for the purpose of returning any stray balls to the said trough. This design is particularly suitable in cases where it is desirable to quickly assemble or remove the equipment.

All of the types and variations of my device are intended to provide a means whereby a ball batted or thrown by a player is first retarded in its motion, then stopped and transported into a ball-throwing machine which returns the ball toward the player.

back and adapted to reduce the speed of the ball striking the said nets and cause it to fall vertically behind the said inclined nets and between them and the said back-stop downwardly to the base of the frame.

2. In a device of the class described, having a ball-stopping back and a frame with posts provided with network means. for first retarding and then changing the direction of movement of a ball thrown, toward said network, the. combination of aplurality of brackets adapted to be removably attached to the posts of' said frame, said brackets being extended outwardly from said posts and thence extended downwardly and rearwardly and provided with a plurality of nets longitudinally disposed and adapted to be removably attached to said brackets, each of said nets when so attached being held in a position downwardly and rearwardly inclined, each net overlapping the lower portion of the net next above, and being spaced from each other and from said ball-stopping back and adapted to reduce the speed of a ball striking the said nets and cause the said ball to fall in an approximately vertical direction.

3. In a device of the class described, having fence posts and a fence attached thereto, the combination of a plurality of brackets adapted to be attached to the posts of said fence, said brackets being extended outwardly from said posts and thence extended downwardly and rearwardly and provided with a plurality. of nets longitudinally disposedand adapted to be readily attached to or detached from said brackets, each of-said nets when soattached, being held in a position downwardly and rearwardly inclined,

" and each net operlapping the. lower portion of the net next above it, being adapted to reduce the speed of a ball striking said nets and cause it to be trapped and fall in a vertical direction.

LOUIS F. CLARK. 

